When I was a kid my mom worked really hard on birthday cakes for my sister. I remember one year when my sister wanted a Minnie Mouse cake, and my mom labored to get icing to be black and then created a Minnie shape. Another year she made a carousel, complete with animal cookie animals. Her creativity and the hard work she put into our cakes made us feel very special.
I've wanted to do that same thing for my kids, and so each year I try to create a cake for them in the shape or style of something they currently really like. They're now old enough to remember their cakes from year to year and to begin asking for a certain thing.
This year My Big Helper had a very interesting request: he wanted a 'wedding' cake with dinosaurs on each tier.
I wasn't sure how to do that.
He enlisted his big sister to draw this cake, and he proceeded to explain the entire thing to me - in great detail.
I was afraid I would disappoint him if I couldn't create his confectionery vision.
At the last minute, feeling somewhat desperate, I asked, "Do you want to help decorate your cake?"
His eyes lit up.
I prepared. I baked the cake layers he requested, purchased a few new dinosaur toys for fun, and threw both the new and some old ones into the dishwasher to ensure their super-cleanliness. I asked him what sort of icing he wanted, and he wanted green grass and a blue river cascading from the top tier. I covered the cake as best I could, then called him in.
The sight of the washed dinos excited him, and he eagerly began sizing up dinos and cake. He placed his favorite dragon on top and then started placing others on the second tier. When he couldn't fit another dino on the cake, he proudly announced, "It's done!" and ran off to play.
The entire process took about two minutes.
In years past, I've stayed up half the night attempting to create something I thought they'd like. I've made some really neat cakes and had a few colossal failures. I think that the kids really get a kick out of their cakes - at least, judging from their eagerness to place a request and see what we make. It's fun to surprise them with it.
But maybe it's not so bad to let them help sometimes. It was certainly much faster, it got cut just as quickly, and My Little Man is just as happy to remove the dino toys and go play as he was with some of the fancier cakes I've made.
I don't think any of us will forget his dino wedding cake anytime soon, and it thrilled him.
There may be some more 'make-your-own birthday cakes' in our future.
I've wanted to do that same thing for my kids, and so each year I try to create a cake for them in the shape or style of something they currently really like. They're now old enough to remember their cakes from year to year and to begin asking for a certain thing.
This year My Big Helper had a very interesting request: he wanted a 'wedding' cake with dinosaurs on each tier.
I wasn't sure how to do that.
He enlisted his big sister to draw this cake, and he proceeded to explain the entire thing to me - in great detail.
I was afraid I would disappoint him if I couldn't create his confectionery vision.
At the last minute, feeling somewhat desperate, I asked, "Do you want to help decorate your cake?"
His eyes lit up.
I prepared. I baked the cake layers he requested, purchased a few new dinosaur toys for fun, and threw both the new and some old ones into the dishwasher to ensure their super-cleanliness. I asked him what sort of icing he wanted, and he wanted green grass and a blue river cascading from the top tier. I covered the cake as best I could, then called him in.
The sight of the washed dinos excited him, and he eagerly began sizing up dinos and cake. He placed his favorite dragon on top and then started placing others on the second tier. When he couldn't fit another dino on the cake, he proudly announced, "It's done!" and ran off to play.
The entire process took about two minutes.
In years past, I've stayed up half the night attempting to create something I thought they'd like. I've made some really neat cakes and had a few colossal failures. I think that the kids really get a kick out of their cakes - at least, judging from their eagerness to place a request and see what we make. It's fun to surprise them with it.
But maybe it's not so bad to let them help sometimes. It was certainly much faster, it got cut just as quickly, and My Little Man is just as happy to remove the dino toys and go play as he was with some of the fancier cakes I've made.
I don't think any of us will forget his dino wedding cake anytime soon, and it thrilled him.
There may be some more 'make-your-own birthday cakes' in our future.
Last week Rosanna at NextGen Homeschool linked up a post about whether you need to finish every textbook. I agree with this author's point - not only do you not need to finish each book, you don't necessarily need to try! To find out more, visit NextGen Homeschool - and Rosanna, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on Washed Up Inspired Wednesdays' button back with you.
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